Tipster Blogs

Michael Scudamore has a fantastic record when he runs one in a handicap chase for the first time, especially if they are switching from hurdles, scoring with nine of the 31 qualifiers in the past ten years (29% strike-rate) for a profit of £44.75 to a £1 level stake at SP.

Progeny of Dandy Man are profitable to back blind on Tapeta (+£220.30 to a £1 level stake at SP since the summer of 2014 when the surface was laid at Wolverhampton) and JACK THE TRUTH is taken to bounce back from a below-par Fibresand effort when he contests the 5f Class Betway Sprint Handicap at Newcastle on this evening (5.45).

It’s not easy to make the transition from maiden hurdle winner to Grade 1 hurdle winner in a single step, with just 16 of 193 qualifiers doing the double since 2002 (8.3% strike-rate). Backing these horses blind would have resulted in a loss of £102.73 to a £1 level stake at SP (53.2% on turnover).

Stuart Williams has a good record when using a first-time tongue-tie in all-weather handicaps, scoring with nine of the 44 qualifiers (20.5% strike-rate) for a profit of £29.13 to a £1 level stake at SP (+£44.85 at Betfair SP).

ONE MORE CHANCE (stall four of 12) blew the start at Wolverhampton last time, doing well to get within three lengths of the all-the-way winner. Mick Appleby’s four-year-old is clearly quirky – she refused at the same venue the time before – but can be chanced to small stakes in a first-time visor when she contests the mile Follow Sun Racing On Twitter Handicap at Southwell on Thursday afternoon (3.40). Her sole success came over course and distance and it’s interesting to note that her trainer is five from 14 (35.7% strike-rate) with his first-time visored runners on Fibresand since the start of 2015 for a profit of £43.00 to a £1 level stake at SP. All five winners were unplaced on their latest outing and the two that switched from Wolverhampton both won (12-1 and 7-1).

We're at the halfway stage of the Meydan Dubai World Cup Carnival and as always Laura King is back with us to preview this week's action. Laura fancies trainers Mike de Kock and David Simcock to come away with a couple of winners on Thursday.